Chapter 662: 662 Little Fatty, come with me
Startled by the footsteps of Mu Hanyan and her companion, the little servant girl lifted her head, and upon catching sight of Mu Hanyan, she froze for a moment before quickly regaining her senses. In a panic, she leapt to her feet and sprinted away but tripped over a stone in her haste.
"Ah... ah..." The servant girl looked at Mu Hanyan with a face full of alarm, let out two cries, and then with a splash, tumbled into the water.
Am I really that frightening? Mu Hanyan touched her chin, an expression of wry amusement on her face.
Soon enough, the maid emerged from the water like a drenched chicken and stumbled away in the opposite direction from Mu Hanyan.
"She seems to be very afraid of you," said Han Jinglun.
"Mm, Mu Siyi, huh? Of course, she’d be afraid," Mu Hanyan said self-deprecatingly.
"Mu Siyi?" Han Jinglun looked at Mu Hanyan with puzzlement. He hadn’t heard the nickname before since it probably hadn’t spread to Cangshan City.
"Mm, my new nickname. Before, it was ’prodigal son,’ Big Playboy Mu," Mu Hanyan explained.
"Oh, this nickname sounds much nicer. Siyi, Siyi, I wonder which beauty Young Master Mu is pining for?" Han Jinglun, who had been associating with Mu Hanyan for several days, had grown familiar with her. He knew she was cold and ruthless toward enemies but candid and easygoing with friends, making her a great company, and thus he joked with her.
"It’s not pining for some beauty; it’s ’Si’ as in ripping clothes—as in, specifically ripping the clothes of respectable women," Mu Hanyan patiently clarified.
"Uh..." Han Jinglun gaped, his forehead furrowed with several lines, and sweat began to bead on his brow. It felt as if crows were cawing overhead.
The maid had run off some distance but then abruptly stopped and timidly walked back.
"Young Master, do you know when the Second Young Master will return?" the maid asked timidly.
Only then did Mu Hanyan understand why the girl, despite being terrified of her, had come back—it was out of concern for Mu Hanfeng. Although the girl acted this way toward her, she was indeed loyal to her own brother.
"He should be back soon. With his talent and strength, he won’t be in any danger. You can rest easy," Mu Hanyan assured her, not one to hold a grudge against a servant.
Earlier, when she had been chatting with her mother, her mother had also expressed her worry about Mu Hanfeng, fearing he might encounter problems during his ventures. However, based on Mu Hanyan’s own recollections, Mu Hanfeng definitely wouldn’t be in any trouble, and she reassured her mother the same.
"That’s good to know, Young Master. I’ll take my leave now," the maid said. She didn’t put all her hope in Mu Hanyan’s few words, but the reassurance did make her feel more at ease. As if afraid that Mu Hanyan would suddenly lose control in broad daylight, she turned around and dashed off again.
"Ouch." She had only run a few steps when she tripped herself up and stumbled headlong to the ground. She scrambled back to her feet and continued to stagger forward.
Watching her pathetic escape, Mu Hanyan finally could not hold back a laugh.
"Cough... cough, I had heard that Big Playboy Mu of Heishi City bullied men and lorded over women without doing any evil, even earning the title of Heishi City’s tyrant, but I didn’t quite believe it until today," Han Jinglun remarked with a sigh.
Let’s not discuss whether Mu Hanyan is a true playboy or not, but just the mention of this reputation is definitely ear-splitting. Even the servants in his household are so fearful; it’s hard to imagine how scared outsiders must be.
Watching the maid scurry away in a flurry, Mu Hanyan retracted her gaze.
Calculating the time, Mu Hanfeng should be returning soon, yet she had no idea how much his prowess might have improved after this period of training. She still had his Cold Sky Sword with her and didn’t find the time to return it, which made Mu Hanyan feel quite embarrassed.
As she used the Cold Sky Sword for a longer time, Mu Hanyan grew somewhat attached to it. After her advancement to a Ninth Rank Swordsman, her technique "Frost Snow Overwhelming the Sky" could only achieve its maximum power with the Cold Sky Sword. It was a pity she didn’t have a longsword of comparable quality; otherwise, she would have considered trading with Mu Hanfeng.
Of course, even if she didn’t return it, Mu Hanfeng certainly wouldn’t say anything. Initially, it was agreed as a loan, but it was clear from his intentions that it was meant as a gift. But Mu Hanyan didn’t want to shortchange anyone, especially not her own brother—someone who, like their father, appeared cold on the surface but would actually give his life for her.
Just as Mu Hanyan was about to step out the door with Han Jinglun, they encountered Yi Qinglian at the entrance.
She hadn’t seen this girl for some time... Why does she seem even more rounded?
"Hanyan!" Yi Qinglian jumped down from the carriage and excitedly ran up to Mu Hanyan, "I heard you came back, so I came looking for you."
"Qinglian, let’s go, hit the streets, I’ll take you out for some treats. Eat eat eat, buy buy buy! Young Master here is loaded now, spares no expense on food or shopping! Act courteous with me, and you’ll be sent straight back home in the carriage. Little Fatty, come with me!" Mu Hanyan said, beaming with a smile at the plump Yi Qinglian. She intended to spoil this girl to the heavens!
"Great! I won’t stand on ceremony with Hanyan. I want to eat lots and lots of yummy things. Also, I saw a beautiful bracelet at Baoxuan Pavilion last time, you’re buying it for me. Plus, Daoxiang House released new pastries that taste so good, but they only sell fifty portions a day, sometimes I can’t even get any," Yi Qinglian counted on her fingers, then realizing what had been said earlier, pouted in protest, "I’m not Little Fatty!"
"Alright, alright, you’re not Little Fatty. We’ll go eat first, then buy the bracelet. I’ll buy the pastries for you, ten portions. If they don’t sell to me, watch me smash their shop," Mu Hanyan said with the arrogant look of a playboy.
"Hehe, I knew Hanyan is the best," Yi Qinglian said, her face lighting up with a bright smile.
"That’s right, if I don’t treat my Qing Lian well, then who am I going to treat well?" Mu Hanyan said with a smile.
Han Jinglun watched this scene in amazement. It seemed like the first time he saw such a relaxed, indulgent smile on Mu Hanyan’s face. However, the way Mu Hanyan looked at this girl named Qinglian was definitely not with romantic affection. Having already witnessed Mu Hanyan’s notorious reputation and the way women would avoid one called Mu Siyi like the plague, he was surprised at how close this girl was to Mu Hanyan. It had dawned on Han Jinglun that Mu Hanyan’s notoriety was probably a product of distortion. Seeing this, the girl must also be aware, hence her closeness to Mu Hanyan. This must be one of Mu Hanyan’s few genuine friends.
"Qing Lian, come, let me introduce you. This is Uncle Han, Han Jinglun, and Uncle Han, this is my close friend, Yi Qinglian," Mu Hanyan said, patting Yi Qinglian’s head with a smile.
"Uncle Han, hello," Yi Qinglian greeted Han Jinglun with a smile.
"Miss Yi, hello," Han Jinglun returned the smile.
"Let’s go, we’ll start by looking around the streets, then head to the Chamber of Commerce," Mu Hanyan said.
Thus, Mu Hanyan, along with Yi Qinglian and Han Jinglun, began their street outing, buying all sorts of things for Yi Qinglian. The so-called rule at Daoxiang House about a fifty-portion limit on new pastries meant nothing in front of Big Playboy Mu. He brazenly commanded them to immediately make ten portions, and the shop hurriedly obliged. Watching Yi Qinglian smile with satisfaction, Big Playboy Mu secretly thought, having the reputation of a playboy isn’t all bad—it has its perks, not all downsides.